CSPAN Key Capitol Hill Hearings Speeches from policy makers and coverage from around the country.

March 4, 201410:00 - 11:01am EST

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>> it is budget day on capitol hill. 2015 budget officially arrives on capitol hill. several events related to the budget will be carried live. we will tell you about that as well. >> the budget coming to capitol hill. the digital version available to members as well.

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at anesident will be elementary school to talk about education proposals contained in the 2015 budget proposal. we invite your comments on that at facebook and twitter. the director of office and , sylviant and budget burwell. economic advisers will review the budget with reporters. an onite your comments twitter and facebook. tomorrow we can tell you about the house and senate committees. atretary lew will testify 10:30. that will be live on c-span3. director burwell will go before , liveuse budget committee

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the wednesday, that will be on c-span3. we invite your comments on facebook and twitter. john kerry has arrived in kiev, ukraine. he brought a guarantee of loan to the ukraine. they hope to help prepare for elections and recover assets. according to the post, he is pledging economic and technical help area and -- technical help. met tosecurity council discuss the ongoing intervention in ukraine. every councilmember except russia supported mediation in that nation. samantha power listed what russia should do to resolve the situation peacefully. this is just under two hours.

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we will leave the program at about 11:30 eastern. >> from the permanent representative of ukraine to the

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security council, 2014/136. it is adopted. in accordance with number 37 of the council's rules, i invite the representative of ukraine to participate in this meeting. it is so decided. in accordance with rule 2039 of the provisional rules of procedures, i invite the assistant secretary general for political affairs to participate in this meeting. it is so decided. the security council will now begin its consideration of item 2 of the agenda. i now give the floor. >> thank you, madam president.

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madam president, members of the security council, since the briefing by the deputy secretary general on 1 march, the situation has evolved rapidly. we understand there is a continuing buildup of russian troops in crimea and that a number of ukrainian military bases have been surrounded by russian troops. in addition, the situation in eastern ukraine remains fluid with reports of demonstrations in certain cities as well as attempts by local groups to seize control of some official buildings. on sunday, the parliament urged russia to fulfill immediately the agreement of the black sea fleet on ukraine territory and called for the fast withdrawal of russian troops to their bases. the russian position on event was articulated by the foreign minister in remarks made at

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today's human rights council. he stated that russia's actions were a question of defending our citizens and compatriots and assuring human rights. the secretary-general has remained closely engaged on the situation in ukraine. in the latest phone call conversation with president putin over the weekend, the secretary-general told him that he was closely following the serious and rapidly unfolding developments in ukraine. the secretary-general expressed concern about the situation that would compromise the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the country. he reiterated it was critical to restore calm and proceed to a de-escalation and asked for cool

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heads to prevail. since secretary-general appealed to president putin to urgently engage in direct dialogue with the authorities, he has repeatedly said that it is critical to exercise respect for ukraine's independence, unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. he has underscored the utmost importance of restoring calm to de-escalate tensions through dialogue. he stressed in the spirit of the u.n. charter, we all adhere to peaceful resolutions of disputes. following the council's consultation on saturday, and given development on the ground in ukraine, the secretary-general asked that the deputy secretary-general travel to ukraine on sunday. while there, the deputy secretary-general will be personally appraised of the

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facts on the ground and will brief the secretary-general on the next steps the united nations could take to support a de-escalation of the situation. the deputy secretary-general arrived in kiev today and has already begun his meetings. a person who briefed the secretary-general yesterday on his mission joined the other in kiev today. in the last 48 hours, the secretary-general has spoken to a number of key people, including the prime minister of ukraine, the president putin, the e.u. high representative, as well as the osce's secretary-general. he met with secretary lavrov today in geneva. the secretary reiterated the need for coordination in support of a stable and united ukraine. in conclusion, i wish to reiterate the secretary-general's call for dialogue to de-escalate

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tensions. as he has underscored in his calls for leaders, he urges us to find a peaceful resolution in the collaborative effort. thank you, madam president. >> i thank you for your briefing. i now give the floor to the members of the security council. i give the floor to the representative of the russian federation. >> thank you, madam president. the russian federation was the initiator of the holding of today's meeting of the security council. since what is happening with our neighbors and ukraine, folks are very deeply concerned. the crisis provoked by the state in kiev as a result of the takeover of extremists is continuing to get worse and is

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creating risks for the country. today in geneva our minister of foreign affairs spoke in detail about the situation in ukraine. we are convinced any internal crises must be overcome by a dialogue of forces in a constitutional way and with respect to international obligations and obligations on international humanitarian law, defending human rights and national minorities. it is important to avoid extremists who are trying to take the situation under their control who are using violence and open terror. it is well known who created the crisis in ukraine. disputing the legitimate actions of the legitimate authorities, some of our partners have taken

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a course to support antigovernment statements. they have encouraged their participants who have moved to aggressive actions of force in attacking the police, stealing from warehouses, and mocking officials in the region, and crude interventions. many towns in western ukraine have been taken over by armed national radicals under extremist anti-russian and other slogans being used. on the 21st of february, almost three months after the unrest and the excesses, there was an agreement between the president of ukraine and the opposition whereby they signed by the ministers of foreign affairs of germany, poland, and other countries where they refused to bring in an emergency situation. they took to the streets.

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the opposition did not do anything. the use of legitimate weapons was not surrendered. civic buildings were not freed. radicals are continuing to control the towns. instead of a promise of the national unity government based in the formation of the -- the parliament of ukraine made a decision limiting the rights of minorities, sent away the judges of the constitutional court, and insists on pursuing them criminally. their arguments to limit or make it punishable to ban political parties that do not suit them and to use them as examples, so the victors want to use assurances of their victory to trample the rights and basic freedoms of people. all of this has bothered eastern and southern authorities of

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ukraine where millions of russians live. they do not want a repetition of this type of thing in this area. this situation of ongoing threats by the ultranationalists, who are jeopardizing the rights of russians and russian-speaking people. we already have had to curb attempts of a forcible takeover in crimea and bringing weapons. we got information of provocative acts through the russian black sea fleet in ukraine. the legitimately elected authorities of the republic have asked the president of russia to provide assistance to restore calm in crimea. it is legitimate in russian law that the threats to our

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compatriots, citizens, and the black sea fleet of the russian federation in ukraine, the president of russia went to the council of the confederation asking for the use of forces until there is a normalization of the situation. on the 1st of march, the federation supported this appeal which we hope will cut off the radicals. i repeat, we are talking about defending our citizens on defending the most important human rights, the right to life. madam president, today i am also authorized to say the following -- the president has received the following from the president of ukraine. the statements of the president of ukraine as a legitimately elected representative says the events in my place and the events in kiev have resulted in

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the fact that ukraine is on the brink of a civil war. in the country there is chaos and anarchy. the rights of people in the southeast part of crimea are being threatened. under the influence of western countries, there is terror and violence. this is why i would call on mr. putin, asking him to use the armed forces of the russian federation to establish legitimacy, peace, law, order, stability, and defend the people of ukraine. 1 march, 2014. i have an opportunity to show all of you a photocopy of the original of this statement of the president of ukraine. i show it to the president of russia. there it is.

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madam president, those who are trying to interpret this situation as aggression are threatening with all kinds of sanctions and boycotts. these are indeed our partners who consistently have encouraged forces close to them to engage in alternatives and refrain from dialogue, to polarize ukrainian society. we call on them to show responsible approaches to set aside geopolitical calculations and to put above all the interests of ukrainian people. it is necessary to fulfill obligations in the agreements dated february 21. the full consideration of ukrainian federation for subsequent approval in a national referendum, and the establishment of the legitimate governments of national unity, considering the regions of the country.

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the russian position was and remains consistent and open. while for some western politicians ukraine is only a geopolitical playground, for us it is a fraternal country and we are bounded by many centuries of common history. russia is interested in a strong ukraine. we see the legitimate rights of ukraine, our compatriots, and of all citizens. in this extraordinary situation, not of our making, when the security of the residents of crimea and southeast region are subjected to a threat due to the provocative actions of gangs and other ultranationalist elements, we would like to emphasize that the actions of russia are fully appropriate and legitimate. thank you, madam president.

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>> i thank the representative of the russian federation for his statement. i will give the floor to the representative to the united states of america. >> thank you, madam president. listening to the representative of russia, one might think that moscow had just become the rapid response arm of the office of the high commissioner for human rights. so many of the assertions made this afternoon by the russian federation are without basis in reality. let's begin with a clear and candid assessment of the facts. it is a fact that russian military forces have taken over ukrainian border posts. it is a fact that russia has taken over the ferry terminal in kerch. it is a fact that russian ships are moving in and around sevastapol. it is a fact that russian forces are blocking mobile telephone services in some areas. it is a fact that russia has surrounded or taken over practically all ukrainian

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military facilities in crimea. it is a fact that today russian jets entered ukrainian airspace. it is also a fact that independent journalists continue to report that there is no evidence of violence against russian or pro-russian communities. russian military action is not a human rights protection mission. it is a violation of international law and a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the independent nation of ukraine, and a breach of russia's helsinki commitments and its un obligations. the central issue is whether the recent change of government in ukraine constitutes a danger to russia's legitimate interests of such a nature and extent that russia is justified in intervening militarily in ukraine, seizing control of public facilities, and issuing military ultimatums to elements of the ukrainian military. the answer, of course, is no. russian military bases in

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ukraine are secure. the new government in kiev has pledged to honor all of its existing international agreements, including those covering russian bases. russian mobilization is a response to an imaginary threat. a second issue is whether the population of the crimea or other parts of eastern ukraine, are at risk because of the new government. there is no evidence of this. military action cannot be justified on the basis of threats that haven't been made and aren't being carried out. there is no evidence, for example, that churches in eastern ukraine are being or will be attacked. the allegation is without basis. there is no evidence that ethnic russians are in danger. on the contrary, the new ukrainian government has placed a priority on internal reconciliation and political inclusivity. president turchinov - the acting president - has made clear his opposition to any restriction on the use of the russian tongue. no one has to explain to ukraine's new government the

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need to have open communications, not only with leaders of the country's russian ethnic minority in the crimea and elsewhere, but also with its neighbors. that is why, when the current crisis began, the government sent its former chief of defense to the region to try to defuse the situation. a second emissary was prevented from entering the crimean rada to engage in discussions. and it is why ukrainian authorities have repeatedly reached out to russia. russia needs to reciprocate and begin to engage directly with the government of ukraine. i note that russia has implied a right to take military action in the crimea if invited to do so by the prime minister of crimea. as the government of russia well knows, this has no legal basis. the prohibition on the use of force would be rendered moot were sub-national authorities able to unilaterally invite military intervention by a neighboring state. under the ukrainian constitution, only the ukrainian rada can approve the presence of foreign troops.

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if we are concerned about the rights of russian-speaking minorities, the united states is prepared to work with russia and this council to protect them. we have proposed and wholeheartedly support the immediate deployment of international observers and monitors from the un or osce to ensure that the people about whom russia expresses such concern are protected from abuse and to elucidate for the world the facts on the ground. the solution to this crisis is not difficult to envision. there is a way out. and that is through direct and immediate dialogue by russia with the government of ukraine, the immediate pull-back of russia's military forces, the restoration of ukraine's territorial integrity, and the urgent deployment of observers and human rights monitors, not through more threats and more distortions. tonight the osce will begin deploying monitors to ukraine. these monitors can provide neutral and needed assessments

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of the situation on the ground. their presence is urgently necessary in crimea and in key cities in eastern ukraine. the united states calls upon russia to ensure that their access is not impeded. the leadership in moscow may well be unhappy about former president yanukovych's decision to flee ukraine and move in with them. russia may be displeased with the new government, which was approved by ukraine's parliament by an overwhelming majority, including members of yanukovych's own party. russia has every right to wish that events in ukraine had turned out differently, but it does not have the right to express that unhappiness by using military force or by trying to convince the world community that up is down and black is white. russia's calls to turn back time to implement the february 21 agreement ring hollow. it was yanukovych who failed to abide by the terms of that agreement, fleeing kiev, and ultimately ukraine. the united states categorically rejects the notion that the new

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government of ukraine is a "government of victors." it is a government of the people and it is one that intends to shepherd the country toward democratic elections on may 25th - elections that would allow ukrainians who would prefer different leadership to have their views heard. and the united states will stand strongly and proudly with the people of ukraine as they chart out their own destiny, their own government, their own future. the bottom line is that, for all of the self-serving rhetoric we have heard from russian officials in recent days, there is nothing that justifies russian conduct. as i said in our last session, russia's actions speak much louder than its words. what is happening today is not a human rights protection mission and it is not a consensual intervention. what is happening today is a dangerous military intervention in ukraine. it is an act of aggression. it must stop. this is a choice for russia. diplomacy can serve russia's interests.

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the world is speaking out against the use of military threats and the use of force. ukrainians must be allowed to determine their own destiny. thank you, madam president. >> i thank the representative of the united states for making their statement. i give the floor to the representative of france. >> madame president, i said during consultations on saturday that it is with a feeling of consternation that we see what is happening in ukraine and when we hear what our russian colleagues have just said. they are hearing the voice of the past. i was 15 years old when soviet forces entered czechoslovakia. it was the same justification, the same documents, the same allegations we heard. we have waited and we expected with the construction of europe

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and the collapse -- we hoped that the balance of power would be substituted with cooperation, respecting independence of everyone. we see again where force overcomes the law, where every crisis must see a victor and vanquished, where propaganda the where propaganda can deny reality. we recall the fight where --in the area of television and internet. the russian army in crimea, against ukrainian government, and in violation of international law. nobody is killing today in the

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streets of kiev. nobody is threatening populations in crimea. these are only excuses which we cannot believe. by occupying crimea, russia has decided to bring the parties to make them comply. this is brutality and propaganda. madame president, france says this game does not serve the interest of the ukrainian or russian peoples. the minister of foreign affairs, with his german and polish

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colleagues, move to negotiate an agreement which russia refused to endorsed until now. -- by creating a government of national unity and holding actions their international supervision. this is what he is proposing today. he is faced by the rejection of the party of the region to join the government. the interim president is after this. he wanted to reduce the role of the russian language. in the framework of independence and territorial integrity of ukraine, there are six points which should be accepted by all

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parties. the return of the russian armed forces to the bases to be verified. secondly, the immediate disarmament of the military groups holding illegal weapons. thirdly, the ukrainian language reestablished. the establishment of the protection of minorities. the implementation of constitutional reform. the organization a presidential reactions. -- elections. these are simple principles which they should be able to negotiate with all parties concerned. this has a central role to play.

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this will to negotiate the solution, which is from international law and the rights of all ukrainians that make it possible, cannot be accomodated with the violations of law. we want to cooperate with russia with whom we have a long and common history. is not about principles and values. despising and rejecting international law and rejecting any discourse does not show optimism. russia seems to be going back, playing an old rule in the

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outdated setting. there is the mindset of new times to trust in the dialogue. they will draw the consequences of relation with russia. only russia will be responsible for the role. they only ask for the ukrainian sovereignty. russia brutally is violating. thank you very much. >> i will give the floor to the representative of the united kingdom. >> thank you, madam president. the world can see that russian military forces have taken control of the crimean peninsula, part of the sovereign territory of ukraine. this is against the expressed wishes of the legitimate

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ukrainian government. it is in unambiguous violation of the territorial ukraine. it is a breach of international law. we can see no justification for these actions. we have heard from russia that the forces are in ukraine to protect minorities from old armed radicals. we had claims of interference in the affairs of the orthodox church. we have claims of hundreds of thousands of refugees. russia has provided no evidence for any of this. it is clear that these claims have simply been fabricated to justify russian military action. in assuming control in a sovereign part of ukraine, the russian federation has contravened its obligations is a -- as a member of the

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international community. it has violated article two of the human charger which -- charter which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. it has failed to honor its international commitments as a founding member and is a signature he to the 1975 helsinki final act. it has taken back its obligations of the treaty on friendship and cooperation by russia and ukraine. the russian representative claims that mr. yanukovych has called for military intervention. we are talking about a former leader that abandoned his office, capital, and country. he brought his country to the brink of economic ruin. he protests against his government, leading to over 80

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deaths. his own party has abandoned him. the idea that this now for trade any legitimacy is far-fetched. the government in kiev is legitimate and has been overwhelmingly endorsed by the ukrainian parliament. in the 21st century, no country should be acting with such a blatant disregard for international law. these actions will be met with a strong and united response from the international community. russia should not be surprised that the political and economic reputation have already suffered. the ruble has fallen and the russian stock market is now down more than 10%. madam president, just as we condemn the russian federation

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for its confrontational acts, we commend the government of ukraine for refusing to rise to provocation. this is a wise decision. we continued the ukrainian government to avoid actions or rhetoric that would inflame tensions or provide a further pretext for further military action. madam president, we call on the russian federation to immediately cease all action in crimea and to refrain from any interference elsewhere in ukraine. russia and with her draw its forces to the bases and return to force levels previously agreed to the government of ukraine as part of the black sea fleet. if russia is genuinely concerned about protecting minority groups and upholding the human rights of the cranium citizens, then armed intervention is not the way to address these concerns. instead, russia should open up a direct dialogue with ukrainian government in kiev and not pick individuals with whom they wish to engage. they should respond to requests by other signatories of the 1994 budapest memorandum to hold

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consultations as specified by paragraph six of that memorandum. they should engage constructively in the debate taking place in the osce and other institutions concerning the deployment of a fact-finding mission to ukraine. such a mission could establish the facts on the ground and provide any necessary reassurances and guarantees through peaceful means. we welcome the un secretary-general's decision. i hope that he would also go to the crimea and eastern ukraine. we call on the secretary-general to use his good offices to their fullest extent to de-escalate the current situation. this is not 1968 or 1956.

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the era in which one country can suppress democratization in a neighboring state or military intervention on the basis of transparently trumped up pretext is over. we stand ready to work with ukraine, russia and all our international partners to support a stable and prosperous ukraine. we urge them to uphold their obligations under international law, to act in a way that promotes stability rather than to destabilize the region through the promotion of new frozen conflicts, to support democratic processes, not to subvert or repress them. >> thank you. lithuania strongly condemns the clear violation iv russian

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russian federation of the territorial ukraine. the military actions we are witnessing on the crimean soil defy the fundamental principles of international law, the helsinki final act, the budapest memorandum, the cooperation between russia and the ukraine in 1997 and the framework regulating the presence of the russian black fleet in crimea. this latent breach has no place in a 21st century. for too many and are part of the world it evokes the memories of the darkest pages of the 20th century. it must be qualified clearly as such. the violation of international law must also entail international responsibility. none of the events in ukraine warrant a military invasion that

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we are witnessing. the will of the ukrainian people and build the rule of law must be respect it. -- respected. we call on the russian federation to put them back to the permanent bases and to refrain from any further intervention or interference in ukraine. let me stress that the international community has a wide array of instruments that can and must use to resolve existing differences and de-escalate the situation through political dialogue and consultations. especially as all the international organizations and others are offering the good offices to this effect. the presence of deputy secretary-general and osce representatives on the ground testify clearly to that. we welcome the proposal to send a monitory mission to crimea and other decisions. in light of international efforts, russia cannot continue.

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ukraine has repeatedly offered consultations for russian counterparts. it must be used to de-escalate the situation. all these avenues should be utilized with a sense of great urgency. we call on the international communities to stand united. these are highly dangerous and we commend a restraint shown by the new government and their determinations. not to give into provocations. they defuse the crisis and welcome proposals to send a monitory missions and we would

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welcome any other noise and missions which would help to ease the situation. we urge the russian federation to respond to these efforts and to seize the opportunity before it is too late. >> i now give the floor to the representative of rwanda. >> thank you. the situation in ukraine in crimea may pose a threat to the international situation. strongly urge all parties and holders and ukrainian crisis to

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exercise restraint in order to de-escalate it. but not launching the diversity and the faith including the russian community. given the current situation, we believe more than ever that the united nations has a critical role to play. we hope to find a solution to the ukrainian crisis. as well as efforts are the president of the confederation in its capacity.

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however, given the complexity and fragility of the situation on the ground, we believe it is important to harmonize all efforts. we therefore reiterate our proposal to establish this by the secretary-general and composed of the united nations, european union, the osce and the russian federation. we believe only efforts by the main stakeholders in the respect to the unity and ukraine while considering interest of the russian federation. it would provide a lasting solution to this crisis.

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all international actors have learned lessons from this and its consequences. this is geographic. we feel that the tension could bring the entire planet back to the darkness from history. despite the increased military abilities of the world powers. i thank you. >> i thank the representative for his statements. i give it to the representative of jordan. >> thank you, madam president. jordan wishes to express its deep concern vis-à-vis the current developments in ukraine and in the crimean region. we call on all parties to

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exercise self-restraint not to escalate by taking military measures or by threatening the use of force. jordan reaffirms the need to respect the authority and independence. we reaffirm the prohibition of the use of force in it territory or any part of the territory or indeed the occupation of the crimean region. they call on all states concerned to respect the terms of their agreements and treaties with ukraine. it is for the memorandum of 1994 as well as the treaty of

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friendship, cooperation, and partnership between the ukraine and russian federation of 1997. russia and ukraine must starts effective dialogue to resolve the crisis between them. a dialogue that would lead to the return of the crimean region to ukraine's control as soon as possible. we call on ukraine to take immediate steps to resolve this of both paternity and to respect human right, and particularly the minority rights in to revoke any measures that were taken which may undermine such rights. at the same time, we stress the need to not interfere in the internal affairs so that the country may decide its own political future.

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the united nations security council must assume its responsibilities regarding the situation in ukraine. we also support the mediation efforts by the united nations secretary-general and support the contact with the various parties in this regard. we wish to receive more clarifications from the parties concerned regarding the situation on the ground and particularly in the region. this will be helpful. we note the need for the security council to investigate the crimean region and to look into mediation and mechanisms

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that may be resorted to in light of the information provided. and to determine the security council's assessment of whether an act of aggression is being committed on ukrainian territory. we would refer to the united nations assembly which considers the use of armed force by a state on the territory of another state to be outside the scope of agreement between the two countries. the same applies. we welcome the steps that were already taken and to be taken with in the framework of the organization of your in order to do with the current crisis and the establishment by the osce's

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contact group and a fact-finding mission. we call on them to coordinate their efforts in order to remove the extension and find a -- the causes of tension and find a peaceful solution, one that preserves the integrity. i thank you, madam president. >> i thank you for the statement. i now give the floor to the representative of china. >> thank you. china is deeply concerned about the current situation in ukraine. we condemn the recent violent acts in ukraine. we have been urging all sides to peacefully resolve their

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internal differences within a legal framework and conscientiously protect the rights and interests of all people in ukraine so as to restore normalcy in the country as soon as possible. china consistently stands for the principles of interference -- of noninterference in the internal affairs of a country and of respect for ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territory. there are reasons why events in ukraine have progressed to where they are today. china will follow closely the developments on the ground and pull on all sides to find a political solution through dialogue and negotiations on the basis of respecting international law and principles of international relations and maintain peace and stability. thank you, madam president.

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>> i thank the representative for his statements. i give the floor to the representative of australia. >> thank you for this briefing. the situation in ukraine clearly continues to escalate. the potential for military confrontation is obvious. council last met on saturday, russian military activity in crimea area has seriously intensified and there are reports of more russian influence on ukraine's eastern and southern borders, violations of -- by fighter planes and

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reports of russian naval vessels blocking in crimea. we are seriously concerned about escalation of russian military activity. these actions along with decision by the government to authorize the use of force are unacceptable. russia's actions are undermining the rights of ukrainian people to choose their own future. it is also contrary to international law. they contravene the u.n. charter and agreements to which russia itself is a party. the 1975 helsinki final act, the 1997 bilateral treaty of friendship and cooperation between the russian federation and ukraine. under these agreement, there is a specific commitment to respect the territorial integrity of ukraine and a commitment to non-intervention. and to refrain from the use of force or the threat to use force. the australian government, together with the broader international community, which is speaking loudly and with one

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force has urged russia to stand down and withdraw its own forces, abide by international legal commitment and immediately take steps to reduce tensions. russia must engage in direct dialogue with ukraine in accordance with article seven of its own treaty on partnership with ukraine. in this counsel, australia has already called for russia to ukraine's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. we make a call not just to avoid provocation but for proactive steps to de-escalate the crisis. we commend the continued restraint shown by ukraine. we support the efforts of the new government to do with this -- to deal with this crisis and stabilize the situation and its country. the international political

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engagements we have seen to date on this issue has been essential and must continue and increase. it is indicative of the level of concern regarding russia's actions. the international community and this counsel must support all efforts toward de-escalation. this means promoting all opportunities for mediation and dialogue. australia will support the deployment of a full mission to ukraine. we are thankful for the security and cooperation in europe for working on this. this would be the best way to address russia's stated concerns about minority rights. we urge russia to consider this. we welcome the news that the osce will begin deploying some initial monitors tonight. we welcome the engagement by the secretary-general and the visit by the deputy secretary.

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we urge parties to cooperate. he seeks to promote dialogue and cooperation and see for himself the facts on the ground. it is imperative that he be given access to all parts of the ukraine. to conclude, this situation should be resolved by peaceful means. there is no other option. the australian prime minister said unprovoked aggression should have no place in our world. russia should stand down and withdraw its forces from ukraine in accordance with its obligations and the people of ukraine ought to be able to determine the future themselves. thank you. >> thank you for your statements. i will give the floor to the representative of chile. >> thank you. we express our deep concern of the escalation of the crisis in ukraine.

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this escalation must be urgently reversed. we call for the greatest restraint and moderation. as has been expressed previously, we repeat once again there is obligation to keep the integral integrity of the ukraine. the parties involved must refrain from taking actions in contravention of the charger of the united nations organization and international law, especially the use of force or threat. in the memorandum of budapest, the state's guarantors clearly commit themselves to respect the independence of sovereignty and the present borders of ukraine and to refrain from the threat

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or use of force against the territorial integrity and political dependence of ukraine. we call for compliance of these obligations. the international community must continue providing support to reach a peaceful sluice into -- peaceful solution to this crisis. in this context, we support the efforts of the international mediation including good offices of regional organization in order to help solve this crisis. we thank the osce for sending a observers to parts of ukraine. this supports the good offices of the secretary-general of the united nations and we particularly support the mission by the deputy secretary-general at this very moment. likewise, we call for the

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russian federation to consider undertaking consultations in the framework of the treaty and cooperation to find a solution to the present crisis. i wish to conclude by stressing the fact that it is up to the people of ukraine to define their own destiny in an inclusive process guaranteeing the rule of law, human rights, fundamental freedoms, and respect for minority rights. thank you very much. >> i now give the floor to the representative of argentina. >> thank you very much, madam president. i am so grateful for the briefing. through him we would like to express our acknowledgment to the secretary-general for his good offices as well as other officials of our organization in order to negotiate a solution to

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the situation. argentina has deep concern about the latest developments in ukraine, especially in crimea. argentina has the responsibility of the council to ensure that international peace and security are maintained within the framework of the principles. we recall the obligations that all states had settle their international disputes in a peaceful fashion in order not to engage international peace and security in accordance with the provisions of 33 of chapter six of the united nations charter.

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we call on all of those involved to refrain from statements which may escape intentions and find a peaceful way out of this crisis. -solutions for an exclusive dialogue, including all sectors of the various regions. we believe it is indefensible for authorities who are responsible for leading in the transitional time to have the all the forces. and it is